DEBKAfile Exclusive: Eight high-ranking al Qaeda leaders blew themselves up

debka file ^ | 11/20/05 | debka

[rang1995]

DEBKAfile Exclusive: Eight high-ranking al Qaeda leaders blew themselves up after a large American force Sunday noon laid siege to a building in which they were barricaded in Mosul, northern Iraq.

November 20, 2005, 5:19 PM (GMT+02:00)

The US force, backed by helicopters and tanks, was led to the location by an intelligence tip. The troops had evacuated the area and were preparing to storm the building when the terrorists killed themselves.

Some Arab sources report that American unit is now busy trying to identify the 8 bodies, hoping against hope that Abu Musab al Zarqawi is among them. This is not confirmed by US military sources.

[Coop]

Thanks. I'll ask the mods to remove my post and yours, since they're duplicates.

[jimbo123]

A U.S. and Iraqi raid on a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq safe house in Mosul sparked a three-hour firefight...

[No Blue States]

We definately have the assets looking for him:

There are at least two top-secret, multi-agency commando teams assigned solely to track al-Zarqawi and mobilize quickly to pursue him into the most unstable areas of Iraq, where he is believed to be hiding, according to several U.S. officials familiar with the units. One of them is called Task Force 626, which was established last year by the Pentagon.

There are also dozens of special-forces commandos and military intelligence-gatherers looking for him. The CIA has deployed dozens of case officers and analysts, the FBI has flown in special agents and bomb experts, and forensic money-trackers from the Treasury Department are trying to monitor the flow of illicit funds into and out of Iraq as a way of cornering al-Zarqawi and his top aides, those officials said in interviews.

Eavesdropping satellites, unmanned drones and even 50-year-old U-2 spy planes are gathering intelligence on the insurgency, some of them specifically watching for al-Zarqawi, U.S. officials confirmed in interviews. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002634979_zarqawi20.html?syndication=rss

[bray]

Probably their schoolbus bomb went off unexpectedly and blew up the Mooselimbs braintrust!

Pray for W and Our Freedom Winning Troops

[Bringbackthedraft]

I think they were just another 8 Zaukouri Lieutenants?

[Recovering Hermit]

Good news. Sprinkle some Bacon-Bits over the entire area for good measure.

Rot in hell you muslim terrorist pigs...with allah, or satan...there's really no difference.

[GoforBroke]

Alpha Whiskey Romeo's

[agincourt1415]

Arab News is putting it out. This would be great news!

[sono]

Confirmation of story

[jimbo123]

A three hour firefight meant we wanted their bodies relatively intact. If not, we could have called in an airstrike and blew them to little pieces. Definitely a high value target and we wanted bodies.

[elli1]

Link says the requested document doesn't exist...

[hershey]

Wonderful!

[bert]

.....Clash near Musul, Kills 12
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Saturday, November 19, 2005
zaman.com


Reportedly, a clash occurred during a raid the US and Iraqi forces were looking for al-Qaeda militias organized at a farmhouse in Al Sukar near the Iraqi city of Musul (Mosul).

Musul police spokesperson Said Ahmed al-Cuburi has said the clash started with the enclosure of the farmhouse and three suicide resisters blew themselves up. ......

Indicating five resisters and four police officers were killed in the clash, al-Cuburi noted the police found a woman among the killed resisters and tried to find her identity.

You got the best article.....
sorting it out there were 9 killed the 8 mentioned in the Debka article were men. To Debka the woman didn't count even thought she was a resister. It is possible, even likely that a secondary or accidental explosion did the fatal deed.

[No Blue States]

Bombing doesnt leave a lot of intel intact either.
One of the stories that Z was killed will be true, this could be it.

So we know 8 insurgents were killed, one of them could be Z..and we are waiting for identification of the bodies to see if the Arab media rumor pans out..

[Coop]

Kind of a strong presumption, although it's certainly a possibility. The target may have been nestled among other homes and a risk to bomb (even with the concrete JDAMs), air assets may not have been available, or they may have been keeping bombs as a last resort hoping for body identification and other intelligence (phone lists, cell phones, computers, etc.)

[dennisw]

There's a hell bound train and eight of Allah's own are on it. Yeehaw!!!

[No Blue States]

It would be great news to get him any time, but especially before this next Iraqi election.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Got jealous of their stooges having all the fun, huh? Or is this dejavue, the eve of the fall of Berlin????

[Popman]

Perhaps Jordan's CIA, after a week or so, has gotten results, while our CIA keeps busy trying to get President Bush!

That deserves a bump

[rang1995]

Some Arab sources report that the American unit is busy trying to identify the 8 bodies, hoping against hope that Abu Musab al Zarqawi is among them

Arab sources say Hoping against hope---dont hold your breath,but it would be a nice surprise